Billing code 36483: Vein ablationMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports adhesive catheter ablation of each qualifying additional incompetent vein treated in the same extremity after the primary vein procedure.
Medicare pays $137.03–$146.64 for 36483 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 9 sections
What 36483 covers
This add-on describes catheter delivery of a medical adhesive to close an additional incompetent superficial vein in the same extremity. It is used after the primary vein has been treated with the adhesive-ablation technique. Vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and other qualified vein specialists commonly perform the procedure in an office or facility setting, using imaging to guide and monitor treatment.
Report 36483 with primary code 36482, not by itself. The additional vein must be in the same extremity and treated through a separate access site; documentation should identify the treated veins, access sites, laterality, and adhesive technique. Report each qualifying additional vein according to the code’s unit definition. CMS treats this as an add-on paid within the primary procedure’s global period. For bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 36483 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $146.64 | $77.99 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $137.03 | $75.49 |
How the 36483 rate is calculated
Each of 36483’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 36483
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.71Practice expense 2.12Malpractice 0.40
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36483
The CMS indicators that decide how 36483 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36483
Vein ablation
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
36483 without 50 · national office
$141.29
Vein ablation
36483-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$211.94
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
36483 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
36483 vs 36482 vs 36474 vs 36476 vs 36479: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 36482Vein ablation
- 36482 reports the primary vein treated with adhesive; 36483 reports qualifying additional veins in the same extremity through separate access sites.
- 36474Vein ablation
- Both address an additional vein, but 36474 is for mechanochemical ablation; 36483 is for catheter-delivered adhesive.
- 36476Vein ablation
- 36476 is the additional-vein code for radiofrequency ablation. Choose 36483 when the treatment uses adhesive.
- 36479Laser vein ablation
- 36479 is the additional-vein code for laser ablation. Choose 36483 when the treatment uses adhesive.
36483 billing questions
Can 36483 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on code reported with 36482 for the primary adhesive-ablation treatment.
When is 36483 appropriate instead of 36482?
Use 36482 for the primary vein treated with adhesive. Use 36483 for each qualifying additional vein in the same extremity treated through a separate access site.
How many units should be reported?
Report a unit for each qualifying additional vein treated, as supported by the operative documentation and separate access site.
Does the code include imaging guidance?
The adhesive-ablation service includes imaging guidance and monitoring; do not separately report those elements as though they were outside the procedure.
How is bilateral treatment handled?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure. When reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
Fee sheets
Put 36483 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →